STD Testing in Los Angeles: 3 Ways To Get Tested Without Seeing a Doctor

How To Get STD Tested In L.A. Without Visiting A Doctor

Did you know that you do not have to go to a doctor to get tested for an STD in Los Angeles?

There are better alternatives that provide more privacy, charge lower or no costs and increased convenience.

Below, we look at three ways you can get tested for STDs in Los Angeles if going to the doctor is not for you. They include home STD test kits, online STD lab tests and free government STD test clinics.

Read the pros and cons of each below, and decide which one works best for you.

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4 Types of STD Tests Compared

The rest of this page reviews the pros and cons of each STD testing method and explains how & where to get tested.

Where To Buy A Home STD Test

Unlike most of the cheap test kits sold on Amazon and at your local drugstore, MyLabBox is both highly accurate (because you send your sample back to a lab) and inexpensive. They also offer free consultations if you test positive – something almost no other at-home kit provider offers.

2. Online Test Labs in Los Angeles

If the lack of accuracy of a home STD test makes you nervous, consider using an online STD test lab instead.

This method provides the accuracy of a hospital test while maintaining the confidentiality and convenience of a home STD test kit.

Pros

Affordable

Even though you will pay more for an online test lab than a home test kit, it is still very affordable compared to what you would pay a hospital or a doctor’s office.

Anonymity Guaranteed

Confidentially is guaranteed. You do not even have to use your name at the lab. Instead, you are given an identifying code to ensure anonymity.

Accurate as a Hospital Lab

Since the entire process is handled in a lab, there is a greater guarantee of accuracy.

You do not have to be worried as much about a false negative or positive.

Counseling

After you finish the test, most online lab providers offer free counseling from a trained licensed nurse.

Cons

Getting an online lab test takes a bit more work than a home test kit. You have to travel to a local lab to get a sample taken. But the lab visit takes just 5 minutes so it is not much of an inconvenience.

How An Online STD Test Works

The process begins online where you find a good vendor and pay for the test.

You will then be issued with an identifying code and directed to a local lab. Here, a sample will be taken and you can access the test results in 1- 3 days online.

Facts About STDs in Los Angeles

Being a huge and highly populated metropolitan area, Los Angeles has its fair share of STD infections.

In fact, LA’s STD infection rates tend to be higher than the US average.

Here are some statistics on specific STDs to shed more light on the issue.

Rates of STD Infection in Los Angelese vs. US Average

Chlamydia

Los Angeles saw a Chlamydia infection rate of 539.3 per 100,000 people in 2016. This is the highest recorded infection rate since 2012, according to data from the CDC.

The US average for the same year was a bit lower at 520.1 per 100,000 people.

Gonorrhea

The infection rate for Gonorrhea has traditionally been lower than Chlamydia in Los Angeles, as it is in most other metropolitan areas in the United States.

In 2016, the Los Angeles metro region had a recorded infection rate of 190.7/100,000 people, a steady increase from the past years. It is also quite high compared to a US average of 162.2 recorded in the same year.

Syphillis

Syphilis has one of the lowest infection rates among STDs in Los Angeles. The infection rate for 2016 was 53.2, a slight increase from the 43.6 recorded the previous year.

The US average is lower, however, at 36.7 cases of syphilis infection per 100,000 of the population.

HIV

Los Angeles has one of the highest HIV infection rates among all US metropolitan areas. In 2013, the CDC recorded 2,373 HIV diagnoses, which is far higher than the US average.

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